


Glimpse

by EnnArr



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Character Death, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Future Fic, One Shot, Pre-Epilogue, Pre-Relationship, Romantic Fluff, Second Chances, possibilities
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-05
Updated: 2020-12-05
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:35:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,354
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27891640
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EnnArr/pseuds/EnnArr
Summary: Because what he had witnessed was the greatest love story ever told. A beautiful tale that has yet to begin. A glimpse of what could have been. [Hermione Granger x Harry Potter] One Shot.
Relationships: Harry Potter & Ginny Weasley, Hermione Granger & Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger/Harry Potter, James Potter/Lily Evans Potter
Comments: 6
Kudos: 106





	Glimpse

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. If I did, you'd know because the ending would be different.**

**Glimpse**

_By: Enn Arr_

When Harry opened his eyes, all he could see was white. It was a bit strange when the last thing he remembered was the dark sky that was half obscured by the leaves and branches of the towering trees of the Forbidden Forest. He had seen it right before Voldemort had struck him with the killing curse. Now, there was nothing but white. It was a bit disconcerting.

He imagined that death would have more colour than this.

Harry groaned as he sat up, absently rubbing his chest where the curse had landed. It was an odd feeling; dying. The killing curse was just as what it was rumoured to be: painless. It was more like a gentle tap of a breeze, like a ghost had went through your body, leaving you with the odd sensation of chills. Compared to all the shite that he had went through since his first year up until now, Voldemort's killing curse was mercy.

Now, he was dead. Just like what Dumbledore wanted and predicted it all to end. He knew he should feel angry just thinking about it, but strangely enough, he felt at peace. It was not just that but he also felt light. He couldn't find it upon himself to be angry, and after all the volatile emotions he felt when he was alive, he welcomed the lack of negative feelings. It was a relief that he wasn't burdened by those destructive feelings anymore, despite that they most probably came from fragment of Voldemort's soul stuck inside of him.

Honestly, if this was how death would feel like, he should've just let Voldemort kill him back in his first year.

Harry looked around, fixing his glasses as he tried to make out the outlines of the place he was in. As his disoriented mind finally cleared, he recognised that he was sitting upon a very empty, vacant, and colourless King's Cross station. He wondered how he got there at first, but he remembered how the Wizarding World seemed to believe in something that was similar to an afterlife in the Muggle World. There was no doubt in his mind that he was in the afterlife at the moment.

He thought it was fitting; King's Cross always led him to the one place he truly called home, Hogwarts. Of course, King's Cross would lead him to his final destination, his next great adventure.

He thought he was alone until he heard something from behind him. He heard someone whimpering and when he looked, he pushed down the revulsion he felt at seeing the thing underneath one of the benches. Dirty torn rags covered its red scratched up skin as it shivered and whimpered. Its body resembled of a child's but his face was more like an old, wrinkled man. Its eyes were wide as saucers, and its legs and arms were pulled close against its body, teeth clattering and its eyes were looking so faraway as though it had been traumatised by something.

Harry had never seen anything so ugly before and he had met Dolores Umbridge in person. He quickly scrambled up to his feet, shuddering as he was backing away from the creature. Whatever that _thing_ was, he never wanted to see another one again.

"Ugly, isn't it?" A sweet but no-nonsense voice spoke from behind him.

Harry spun around and then went rigid. In front of him was just as what he envisioned her to be: beautiful and angelic and glorious. It was the eyes, his eyes, that gave her away. Lily Potter née Evans was smiling at him, emerald eyes sparkling with mirth. Her curly red hair tumbled over her shoulders to her midback and she was beautiful. Really, really beautiful.

Tears stung his eyes as he continued to stare at her. This was the woman who loved him so much that she sacrificed her life just so he could continue living his own. This was the woman who gave birth to him and then, she was taken away from him before he could even utter his own name. This woman was the mother he never knew, the mother he should've grown to know.

"Hi, Mum," he croaked out, flashing her a watery smile.

Her smile broadened. "Hello, my sweet, baby boy."

Harry quickly reached out and tugged her into a heartfelt embrace. She felt so solid, so real, and so alive in his arms; it was as though she hadn't died. He felt her hands rubbing his back, could feel her warm breath brushing against his neck, and her lips pressing a kiss on his head. He closed his eyes and savoured the moment. This was what it felt like to have a mother embrace her child. He didn't want it to end.

"I take it you're happy to see me?" Her tone was teasing and light as she played with his hair.

"Very," he whispered, clutching her tight. "Are you here to take me away?"

He heard her sigh. "Unfortunately, Harry, it's not that simple and easy."

He frowned and reluctantly let her go. "What do you mean?"

His mother sighed and smiled faintly at him. "The Powers That Be had decided to take Tom Riddle's soul instead of yours, Harry."

"Voldemort?" Then it had hit him. The thing behind him. _Could it be...?_ "Wait, that creature right over there is Voldemort?"

Lily nodded. "Yes, it is. He's so afraid of death that he's reduced to nothing but a pitiful and unnatural creature, unloved and overlooked."

Harry was tempted to look back but he stopped himself, shuddering when he remembered its face. There was no way that he was going to look at it again without stopping himself from gagging.

"Come, Harry." Lily smiled that beautiful smile of hers. "Let's take a walk."

Lily held his hand as they both sauntered away from the creature. Harry marvelled at the warmth of her pale hand and gripped tighter. He could only stare at her red hair that slightly resembled his ex girlfriend's, Ginny Weasley. Ginny had straight silky hair whilst his mother's was slightly curled. Lily looked at him and smiled. Harry could only smile back.

"It's so great to see you, Harry," she said. "Although I wish that it wasn't in this circumstance."

"I don't regret a thing," he told her, because it was the truth. Harry had only seen his mother's image by the pictures that Hagrid provided him, the one time in the Mirror of Erised, and when he used the Resurrection Stone. She had been corporeal then. She looked very real now. "I'm glad I've gotten to see you again."

She stopped and he did too. Lily faced him and clutched his other hand. "You've grown so handsome, just like your father." Then she winked. "Don't tell him I said that though."

Harry laughed. "I won't. Where is he, by the way?" He looked around, trying to spot a man that was his mirror image aside from the eyes. "Is he here?"

"Unfortunately, he's not." Lily smiled ruefully. "The Powers That Be chose me to greet you when you arrive in Limbo."

"Limbo," Harry repeated then gestured throughout the whole place. "Is this Limbo?"

Lily nodded, looking around as well. "Yes, it is. This is where souls get to choose between staying or leaving. Every soul has a different destination for a Limbo. For me, it's our little cottage at Godric's Hollow. For your father, it's the Quidditch field. For you, it's King's Cross station."

"But I get to leave, right?"

Lily nodded. "Yes. You're allowed to leave because of the fragment of Tom Riddle's soul that had attached to your own. So, when you wake up, don't get yourself caught up in another Avada Kedavra because you'd really die then."

Harry chuckled at his mother's retort. "I won't." He stared at her. "I'm glad that it's you, Mum. How... How is Dad?"

"He's still a prat," Lily said but there was a hint of fondness in her tone. No matter how cruel her words made up to be, there was no denying that she was completely and undoubtedly in love with James Potter. "He's even worse now that Sirius and Remus has joined us."

Hearing his godfather's name still hadn't failed to bring tears in his eyes. Even after two years, his death still stung Harry the most. Sirius was his direct connection to his parents and he still died in the end. The worse thing was knowing that it was his fault that he died.

Lily saw his expression. "It was not your fault," she told him vehemently. "Sirius' death was not your fault but Voldemort's and that nasty woman Bellatrix. He chose to fight, Harry. He chose to protect you, knowing that it could risk his own life. It was his decision, not yours. You didn't force him and he certainly knew the consequences of his actions. Please, stop blaming yourself."

"I know," he remarked, his voice guttural. "It just hurts, you know? I wish I could've done more for him."

"You did, Harry." Lily cupped his cheeks and green met green. "You've done so much, gave him so much. You gave him hope and a will to live, to fight in a world that had abandoned him. Sirius wished that he could stay with you but it was his time to go. He didn't have a choice."

Harry tipped his lips into a small smile. His mother's words reminded him of Hermione's, his best friend. He knew that what they said were true. If given the chance, Sirius would've fought tooth and nail to stay with him. Sirius loved him. That he was sure of.

"I'm glad that he's with Dad again." It hadn't escaped Harry's notice that Sirius had called him his father's name on the night he died whilst they were fighting side by side. "I could tell that he missed him very much."

Lily rolled her eyes playfully. "Ah, yes. Those two have done nothing but caused trouble here. They have even roped Remus and Tonks in."

"How about..." Harry hesitated. "How about Snape?"

Lily blinked and for a second, she looked at war with herself. "What he did was unforgivable," she said eventually. "But he had felt remorse and guilt, and not many people could see past their mistakes. He had done everything in his power to protect you, Harry, and for me, that's enough. I have forgiven him. James had also forgiven him. Even Sirius forgave him. Snape has also forgiven them." She grinned to assure him. "It's all well here, Harry. You don't have to worry about anything."

Harry smiled. "I'm glad." He was. Even though Snape had been cruel to him, the man had also loved his mother with all of his heart, and had done everything, even bargained his whole life, just to protect her. "He had suffered so much that he deserves this."

Lily grinned teasingly. "Where did you get that from? Hermione?"

Harry chuckled. "She must be rubbing off me." Harry sighed afterwards. Hermione's name reminded him of the war and what he had left behind by being here. "I have to go back."

Lily nodded forlornly. "You do."

Harry sighed again, blinking his eyes away of tears. "Can't I stay here just for a little while?"

Lily shook her head, her lips pinched into a sad smile. "I'm afraid you can't. There are people waiting for you at the other side. People who are counting for you to fight with and for them."

"I wish I could stay here." If only to have more time with his mother.

"Me, too." She brushed his messy hair back. "Someday, you'll come back. Then, we can be together again. We'll be a family here, with your father. Just, not now."

Harry stared at her face. Her soft smile, her bright green eyes, her feiry red hair. He had committed them all into his mind for fear that once he woke up, he would forget everything. He found that Lily was also staring back, and he wondered if staring was a trait that he had inherited from her.

"Is it time?" He whispered, his voice small and timid like a child who'd just been scolded.

Lily blinked her eyes and pulled back. "Not just yet."

Harry was puzzled by her statement. He watched her as she walked backwards away from him, all the whilst sporting a mischievous smile across her face. He wondered if his own father had taught her that kind of smile. From what he learned of her from Sirius and Remus, Lily Evans-Potter was a serious and no-nonsense kind of person. It would be his father's greatest pleasure if he had influenced Lily's mischievous streak.

"I have something to show you, Harry." She stopped and held out her hand. "Do you trust me?"

Harry peered at her hand and at her smile, then slowly nodded. "Yes, I do." He walked closer and slid his hand into hers. He would trust her with all of his life and his being.

It was all too sudden for Harry to comprehend. As soon as he touched Lily's hand, the whole King's Cross station melted away. The contours of the benches and train blurred and Voldemort's scream was distant as he slowly faded into nothing. Both he and Lily were the only image that you could spot in the world of white. Then, that also changed.

As the last of the station vanished, different images slowly melded and poured out from the white background. They popped out, one by one, and in different directions, until they filled the dull background with colours. They were in different shapes, clear and solid in the centre but faded and frazzled at the edges.

Harry tilted his head as his eyes jumped from one image to another. They appeared to be moving pictures of different women. They were mute and a few of moving images were black and white. Harry was startled to see that some of them were witches he knew by name and others were by association through Quidditch and the DA.

"Where are we?" He breathed out in awe.

"We're in the Chamber of the Fated," answered Lily. "The images that you see around you are the witches and muggle women that you may or may not get to spend the rest of your life with."

"All of them?" Harry was shocked. They appeared to be thousands of them.

Lily chuckled amusedly. "Of course not. The future has endless of possibilities and outcomes, Harry. Whatever decision that you made or about to make, has thousands or millions of consequences. It's not just one, Harry. These images are the possibilities and outcomes made by your present and future decisions and choices."

"So, one of these women get to be the next Mrs. Potter in the future?" Harry asked, a look of incredulous on his face. "I don't even know half of them!"

"Some of them, you will meet in the distant future," Lily clarified. "Most you already know by name and face. It depends on you if you want one of them to be the person you get to spend eternity with."

"Oh."

Harry looked at the images in a new light. It was odd seeing women he didn't know and knowing that he would marry one of them someday. His eyes widened when he saw Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown. He even spotted Cho Chang's glossy black hair somewhere. He certainly didn't miss Pansy Parkinson's pug nose and Susan Bones' bright red hair. It was a bit daunting to know that he had thousands — even millions — of possible futures with different women. He didn't know if he should be afraid or flattered.

"What are we doing here?" He questioned, eyes widening when he saw Luna Lovegood. He didn't know how that happened. As far as he knew, she and Neville were crazy about each other.

"I want you to choose."

Harry whipped his head towards her, dumbfounded at the pensive and serious gaze that Lily had on him. "What?" He sputtered.

"I want you to choose one, Harry," she said, looking away and waving her hand over to the images. "Choose one of these possible futures. Choose one of these girls, and you will see the future you deserve."

Harry looked around, already feelings nauseous at the sheer number of his so called possible futures. "But there are so many," he said. "How can I choose amongst them?"

Lily tilted her head. "Choose what you feel is the most right, Harry. Your heart will lead you home."

He stared at the images with apprehension. It was laughable how he would rather choose to battle a troll, slay a basilisk, outfly a dragon, and get hit by a killing curse once again instead of choosing between these possible brides and Mrs. Potters-To-Be. He honestly didn't know how he could choose.

Harry turned to his mother, words of protest at the tip of his tongue, but he halted when she saw her attention at the images, her face serene and calm. He clamped his mouth shut and regarded her.

"Why don't you choose for me?" He blurted out, the suggestion was a surprise not just to Lily but to himself as well.

Lily flickered her emerald eyes to his direction. "Are you sure about that?"

Harry considered it then found himself nodding without reluctance. This was his mother after all. She knew what was the best for him, and frankly, out of everyone he knew, she was the only one who wanted that for him. Well, her and Hermione. She would not lead or stir him wrong. Plus, if he was the one who'd be choosing, Voldemort would've had won by now and his body would be buried six feet under.

"I trust you, Mum," he repeated his words earlier, meaning it with all his heart. "I trust your judgment."

Lily beamed beautifully and nodded. Then, she faced the images and with a wave of her hand, the images whirled around them although they remained unruffled. It was like they were trapped in the eye of a tornado. Harry watched in fascination as the images blurred, the faces becoming hard to decipher. Then all of the sudden, they stopped moving and in front of him was a large image of Ginny.

Harry felt his mouth drying when he saw her wide smile and hazel eyes. She looked older in the image as she stood at what could be the King's Cross station with three children surrounding her. His heart pounded painfully against his ribcage as he spotted the messy raven hair and the emerald eyes in the children's features.

They were his children, he realised with a jolt. He had a family. Harry couldn't describe the swell of happiness that he felt at that moment. But then the image blinked out and Harry couldn't stop the cry that spilled out of his mouth. He was confused as he stared at the spot where the image had disappeared.

"W-What happened?" He stammered, peering at his mother in question. "Where's Ginny? Bring her back."

Lily smiled sympathetically at his lost expression. "She wasn't the one I chose," she said.

Harry was flabbergasted, and he stared mournfully where the image vanished. He regretted not seeing his ex girlfriend earlier. He was surprised at himself that he hadn't realised that she could be one of the girls he will marry in the end. But, it was already too late. He had let his mother choose for him.

"Why?" He enquired. "Ginny makes me happy. Why didn't you choose her?"

She wasn't looking at him when she answered, "So does most of the girls of the other possibilities, but I didn't choose them, did I?" When Harry's perplexed expression hadn't cleared, she elaborated. "Harry, all of the options laid in front of you are good and some of them are better. However, only a few are the best. Sometimes, out of a dozen best options, you have to choose the one that stands out because it feels right. You were the one who said that you trusted me, Harry. I hope you aren't changing your mind now." Lily raised an eyebrow as if daring him about something.

"No, I—" He halted. "I just... I was just surprised, that's all."

Ginny was the only girl who made him feel normal. She was the one who made him forget that he was Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, the Chosen One, and the hero of the Wizarding World. Although he knew he didn't love her, he cared deeply for her. Maybe, someday, he could grow to love her if given the chance. What was wrong with his future with Ginny that his mother didn't like about?

"Ginny is a wonderful girl," she said abruptly, almost as though she had sense the thoughts running in his head. "She's loyal and fierce. She's strong and she's not afraid to speak her mind. She also loves you." Harry's heart skipped a beat. He always knew that Ginny had strong feelings for him. "But, she also has high expectations. It's one of her biggest downfalls. She expects too much from you and sometimes, those blind her from the most important things. She thinks too highly of herself and she's too proud sometimes that she forgets that other people has their needs too. It comes from being an only girl in a household full of boys."

"But she's a great girl," he argued although it lacked heat.

Lily's lips twitched. "I never said that she wasn't. I'm also not saying that you two aren't good for each other because you two are. I know that Ginny makes you happy and normal, Harry." The faint smile on her lips suddenly dimmed. "But she cannot help you accept who you are. She understands that you have a big destiny ahead of you, that you will always be great, but she's not someone who can make you feel greater. She will always see greatness in you, but she cannot bring out the best of you. She's blinded by your titles as Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, and not someone who's just Harry, the normal boy he is underneath all the titles."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked slowly as if he had a difficult time perceiving her words.

"I'm saying that she can't make you believe in yourself and your abilities, no matter how many words of encouragement she uses or how big the amount her faith is for you. You two are good, but you two can't be great together. The both of you are too different and there will come a time that those differences will tear you apart."

For the first time since Harry saw her, Lily looked grim, like she knew the future he will have with Ginny was bleak. It had made Harry curious and uneasy. He wondered what else she saw in his future. Was it possible that aside from those girls, he had a future where he died by Voldemort's curse? Where he wasn't protected by her love? Lily snapped out of her thoughts when she subconsciously noted the discomfort on his face and she flashed him a reassuring grin.

"I'm your mother, Harry," she said to him in a voice that told him he shouldn't question her purposes. "I just want the best for you."

Harry relaxed his taut posture. "I know, Mum."

Lily beamed. "Are you ready to see the future that I chose for you?"

Harry nodded and they both simultaneously turned towards the white wall in front of them. His emerald eyes widened and his jaw dropped when he saw the giant image in front of them. It was a close up image of a girl, her eyes closed as she basked under the sunlight with a small smile on her face. Harry's heart pounded fiercely inside of his chest. The image slowly receded to reveal the girl's form and her location. She was sitting on the grass in front of the Black Lake, her legs stretched out before her and her ankles crossed as she leaned back, the hands she planted on the ground supporting her weight. She was wearing a familiar jumper, the sleeves were torn, and her face was covered with dried droplets of blood and smuged with dirt but she looked at ease, as though the burden she was carrying had been finally lifted from her hands.

This was a girl that Harry knew so well, having spent almost 8 years with her company and support. This was the girl who first told him about the important things in life — friendship and bravery — and encouraged him to face the enemy. This was the girl who first believed in him and his abilities, who tried to make him feel better whenever he was in sorrow, and who stayed by his side no matter how many times he raged and yelled at her to leave. This was the girl who had sacrificed everything just to help him, who worried about his health and almost forgot her own, and who questioned every decision he made because she wanted him to be safe and away from harm. This was the girl her mother chose for him.

This girl was Hermione Jean Granger, his best friend, and whom his mother believed was the better half of himself.

Harry couldn't believe it.

The image suddenly broadened until he found himself standing inside of the image with his mother beside him. Their heads, legs, arms, and torso were transparent like they were nothing but ghosts floating in the background. Harry watched with rapt attention as the gentle breeze swayed her wild and untameable brown hair. Unlike the months of their hunt, where it lay limp on her head and shoulders, her hair seemed livelier now, as though it was projecting the mood she was in.

Harry nearly toppled in shock when he saw himself walking towards her. His double had the same green eyes and messy ink jet hair; it was him and not him. This was another part of himself that he was waiting to uncover. His double was wearing the same clothes that he was in at the moment and, like Hermione, his face was covered in dirt and blood and his clothes were torn. Harry watched as his double walked towards Hermione.

 _"What are you doing here?_ " His double asked as he stopped behind her.

Hermione threw her head back and flashed him a brilliant smile. The sun made her chocolate eyes shine gold.

 _"Waiting for you,"_ she answered and laughed without a care of the world.

Then the image shifted and another scene blinked in existence. Harry devoured the scenes with his wide and eager green gaze. He saw himself and Hermione standing side by side in the aftermath of the battle and the many months after that. He watched every smile, every laugh, every cry, every frown, every rolled eyes, and every kiss exchanged between them.

* * *

_"You know you don't always have to be alone, right? I'm right here, Harry. Always."_

_"I know, Hermione."_

* * *

He heard every word spoken, from sweet messages and teasing quips to snarky retorts and scathing remarks.

* * *

" _They would never understand, would they? They didn't know what we went through and what we did to win the war."_

_"No, the only ones who understand is us, Harry. You and me."_

* * *

_"Why?"_

_"I need to leave and find my parents to restore their memories."_

_"Well— I'm coming with you!"_

* * *

_"I won't stop you from going back to England, to the Burrow. I know you miss them. You don't have to pretend that you don't."_

_"I'm not pretending that I don't miss them, Hermione. But, there's no place in the world I'd rather be than here."_

* * *

" _It's strange, isn't it? The world is the same as before. It's the same sky, the same ocean, the same land; nothing has changed except for us."_

_"At least we're not alone."_

* * *

_"Ron told me that he loved me."_

_"What did you say to him?"_

_"I said that I was sorry."_

* * *

_"Thank you for being here with me."_

_"No, Hermione. Thank you."_

* * *

_"No, Harry! Stop it! Stop blaming yourself for what had happened. How many times do I have to tell you? It wasn't your fault."_

_"But, Hermione—"_

_"I said no, didn't I? I don't want you to live the rest of your life in guilt and self-loathing. You deserve to be happy more than anyone else in this world, Harry. I didn't want for you to live for the sake of living but rather because I know after the war that there's now a brighter, less dangerous future ahead of you. And I won't let you ruin that future."_

* * *

_"Is it wrong to feel ashamed because I'm alive whilst so many others are dead?"_

_"No... Frankly, you're not the only one who's feeling that way, Harry. But I try to live for them, to honour their sacrifice, instead of wishing that they're the ones who survived. Sometimes I think that's enough. Otherwise, I don't know how to continue on."_

* * *

_"Does the pain ever end, Harry?"_

_"It will in time. It will heal all in its own, as long as you let it. The scar that would remain will remind us that we survived the pain."_

* * *

" _Why don't we just stay here, Hermione. We could grow old here, just like what you wanted. Remember?"_

_"Hmm. Sounds perfect to me."_

* * *

_"Harry... Did you just ate my last batch of chocolates?"_

_"Err..."_

_"Harry! You prat! Those are for my monthly cycles!"_

* * *

_"There is no way that I'm going to wear that!"_

_"But, Hermione! It's my birthday!"_

* * *

" _I... I don't know what to do, Hermione."_

_"Just hold me like this, Harry, and stop talking. You're supposed to be comforting me."_

* * *

_"Harry, what are you doing?"_

_"Trying to kiss you. Err, is that okay?"_

_"Why didn't you just ask?"_

* * *

_"You can't just go into my office unannounced and demand things from me!"_

_"Well, you also can't make an appointment with me just for you to forget about it in the end!"_

* * *

_"Are you bribing me with books?"_

_"Err, yes...?"_

_"... It's working."_

* * *

_"I just don't think I'm enough..."_

_"Stop right there, Hermione. You're more than enough. Just because they can't see reason, doesn't mean that it's a pointless cause. You're saving the world, Hermione: One house elf at a time."_

* * *

_"Butterbeer at the Leaky?"_

_"You're on."_

* * *

_"Thank you for believing in me."_

_"Thank_ you _for not giving up on me."_

* * *

He couldn't stop watching, not when he saw himself loving Hermione in a future not so far away from his grasp, not when he could clearly see the love and adoration in Hermione's expressive eyes, and not when one missed moment would've left him bereft.

* * *

_"Is it wrong to love you?"_

_"Is it right not to?"_

_"No..."_

_"Then, no."_

* * *

" _Oh, my! Harry! You startled me to death! How long have you been there?"_

_"Long enough. Please don't stop at my account. I don't think everyone has the same privileges as me to see you dancing and singing whilst you're cooking."_

* * *

_"I keep on thinking that you will leave me for someone better."_

_"Why would I when I know that you're the best for me?"_

* * *

_"What do you think? Err, Harry?"_

_"Hermione... You need to change right now. I don't think I can survive the night with you in my arms looking like that. You look... You look absolutely stunning."_

* * *

_"Harryyyy. Stop it, please."_

_"Are you blushing right now? Woah, don't glare at me like that. I was only teasing. It's just..._ _Just one more shot. You look beautiful in this light."_

* * *

_"I'm not good enough for you, Hermione."_

_"Oh, Harry. I don't need you to be good enough for me. I need you to love me and that is enough."_

* * *

_"Err, is this okay, Hermione?"_

_"Hmm? Oh, yes, Harry, it's okay. Everything with us is more than okay. It's perfect."_

* * *

_"Don't leave me. I can't do this without you."_

_"Harry, it isn't that hard to fold clothes, you know?"_

* * *

_"Stop looking so smug. Just because you won last round's toss coin doesn't mean you're not cooking tomorrow night."_

_"Yes, but I can't help it if you look adorable in an apron, Hermione. I don't know how you do it."_

* * *

_"Hermione, I have to do this."_

_"I don't like it, Harry. It isn't your job to save the world. They can't just expect for you to capture bad wizards all the time just because you defeated Voldemort. I wanted the war to end so that you can live a harm free life. Now, you're rushing off to danger_ again. _Honestly, I don't know what I'm going to do with you."_

_"I'm not doing this for them, Hermione. I know you want me safe and protected but I have to do this. I'm saving the world because I want it safe for you to live in."_

* * *

_"Why are you looking at me like that?"_

_"I look at you and I see the reason why I wake up happy in the morning."_

* * *

_"What did you tell her?"_

_"I told Ginny that I already found the love of my life and I hope that she finds hers too."_

_"Oh, okay— Wait, what did you just say?"_

* * *

_"You, idiot!"_

_"OW! Hermione! I'm injured!"_

_"I was worried sick to death, Harry! I keep on imagining someone telling me that you have died! Ugh. Please... Please, don't do that again. I don't know what I would do if I lose you. I can't lose you, Harry. I... I love you."_

* * *

_"I know it's not that much and could likely use extensive work but I did it because... I love you, Hermione. And I know that I'm not the easiest man to deal with. I know that sometimes I make you cry and I frustrate you. I don't listen as much as you like and I brood a lot. But you're an amazing woman, Hermione, and I'd be an idiot if I let you go."_

_"Oh, Harry!"_

_"Oof! Hermione! I can't breathe!"_

* * *

_"I see it."_

_"See what?"_

_"A little girl with your bushy hair and my eyes and a boy with my hair and your eyes."_

* * *

_"It's almost unnerving how everyone looks as though they expected us to be together."_

_"Yeah, it is a bit strange although it's not that surprising. Don't you remember the article Skeeter wrote about us? I bet that they're just wondering when we'll finally confess to each other."_

_"I don't know whether to be annoyed or grateful to Skeeter. It's a disconcerting feeling, honestly."_

* * *

_"Ron will come back."_

_"Hermione—"_

_"No, Harry. Ron strays but he always comes back. This time isn't that far from last time. After he apologises to us, and I hex him, things would go back to normal. Just have faith."_

* * *

_"Doesn't it feel too good to be true? Me and you? It feels like it has always been there."_

_"Maybe it has always been there but we're too dense to realise it. Who knows?"_

* * *

_"Are you mad at me?"_

_"No... It's just— I have never loved someone as much as I love you. Sometimes my feelings for you scares me, because I just gave you the power to destroy me, Harry. Don't get me wrong, I don't regret it. How could I when my love brought me to you? I don't want to lose you. I can't... I can't survive if I do."_

* * *

_"Don't you understand? It's too dangerous!"_

" _I told you, didn't I? You need us. You need_ me. _I'm not leaving you. So, what if the world is getting dangerous? Stop being a noble prat. I would rather face the danger with you than live alone safe!"_

* * *

_"Why were you pointing at me earlier?"_

_"Oh, I was just pointing to Neville the girl that I want to spend the rest of my life with."_

* * *

_"Sometimes I look at you and think that the world is right because I'm beside you."_

_"There's nothing wrong in the world as long as we're together, Harry."_

* * *

Because what he had witnessed was the greatest love story ever told. A beautiful tale that has yet to begin. A glimpse of what could have been.

* * *

_"Do you see this man in the mirror?"_

_"Yes...? What about it?"_

_"He's going to ask me to marry him someday... and I'm going to say yes."_

* * *

He found himself struggling to breathe when he saw himself watching Hermione approach him, wearing a beautiful white dress and holding a small bouquet of white lilies in her hands. She looked absolutely beautiful when she smiled at him. He marvelled at the sight of himself crying openly as they spoke their vows and promises and then exchanged their rings. When he saw two beautiful children with green and brown eyes and a heavily pregnant Hermione, his knees nearly gave out. He watched as the pregnant Hermione turned to his double and the expression on her face could've ended Voldemort right then and there.

When the images faded and played back to Hermione's close up face, he felt strangely empty as he stood in the white room with his mother. He closed his eyes and greedily captured the scenes that lingered in the front of his thoughts: their first kiss, his proposal, their wedding day, their first night as husband and wife, and their two children. His whole body trembled although he couldn't tell from what. Slowly, he opened his eyes and he fixated his attention on Hermione.

"Why?" He heard himself asking distantly as he stared at the image of his best friend whose life he shared with in the glimpses he got from the future.

"Because she is the girl who could help you become so much more," Lily said, watching as Hermione pulled her hair back to her ear and smiling slightly as she scowled as the curl sprung back to her face. "She not only sees you as a hero, but she also sees you as a person, and, most importantly, as Harry. She gave and lent you strength and she had never faltered and never strayed. She's not just loyal to you, Harry; she's absolutely faithful to you. Although she is assertive, bossy, and stubborn, she makes you work hard and strive to become a better person. I chose her for you because I know that she's the only person you could be truly happy with. She's the person that you could bare all your flaws and faults to and she would still accept despite knowing how hard it is to deal with your outburst. She's the person you have no trouble being vulnerable with because she has seen and understood every ugly and beautiful part of you."

Lily turned to her son with trembling lips that were pulled into a smile. "You two are beautiful together, my son. Apart, you two could twinkle in the night but together, you outshine the sun. She doesn't only believe that you're going to win but she also believes that you're going to live through this war, Harry. She believes it with her entire being, in her very soul, and the thought of you dying had completely destroyed her although she tries to deny it. Even knowing that you have to die, she is waiting for you to come back to her, alive and whole." She grasped his hands and looked earnestly into his green eyes. "She does this because she believes in you, Harry, more than you believe in yourself. She is the rock that will keep you standing, the water that will wash all the pain away, the land that accompanies you in your journey, and the sun that will remind you of the goodness in life."

"But Ron—"

"—needs to establish a name for himself for him to grow as a person," Lily interjected firmly. "He can't keep on living in your and Hermione's shadow all the time. Ron and Hermione are good together, just as you and Ginny are. But, no matter how good they are for each other, they won't be happy in the long run. In time, they would only bring each other down. Even you, yourself know how explosive they can be together. Ron isn't mature enough for Hermione and he will always resent the spotlight on her. On the other hand, Hermione would never understand Ron's desire for a housewife who cooks, cleans, and gives children for him. Maybe if they wanted to make it work, they would make it. Right now, the future is unclear for them both."

"But they already kissed," Harry pointed out.

Lily gave him a patient smile. "A kiss doesn't mean a lifetime of commitment, Harry."

His throat bobbed. "I never... I never thought of her in that way before." He glanced at the image of Hermione and noted how serene she looked.

 _"I'll go with you!"_ She had said when he was about to sacrifice himself to Voldemort so that they could win the war. She had spoken that without pause or reluctance. She had met his eyes and although there were tears and pain in her gaze, she said those four words as though she wasn't risking her life. She was willing to die for him, with him, and she didn't even need someone to urge her. Whilst she cried and gave him what he thought was his final hug from her, Ron stood back and watched them. Harry had never expected that he had a life, a future with Hermione, and all he had to do was reach out and take it. He had never even considered that possibility.

"The future isn't set in stone, Harry," she assured him. "It will always come down to you. It's your choice if you want a future with Hermione or a future with Ginny. Just because I chose her doesn't mean that you can't choose someone else. As long as you're happy, then I am happy." She reached out and cupped his face. "It's almost time for you to go, Harry. Before you leave, I want you to know that I love you very much and don't forget to live life to the fullest and to love someone with every inch of you. I'll see you soon."

He glanced back at Hermione and thought about the future that he had with her. He never realised how much emotions her eyes revealed or how her hair seemed to have a life on its own. He wondered what it felt like to hold her in his arms like a lover, to whisper sweet nothings in her ear, and to kiss her lips no friend should do. He had never speculated before. He didn't give himself a chance to because he had always put Hermione in the 'friend' category although he had always thought that she wasn't ugly. This girl was his best friend, his confidant, and his foundation. To know that there was a future where they could become so much more together exhilarated him. From what he had glimpsed, he had a future filled with joy and love because of her. He had created a family with her and he wanted that, he chose that, more than anything else in the world. He looked back at his mother and flashed her a brilliant smile that lit up his emerald eyes.

A future was waiting for him and within it was his best friend who would love him forever and he would love her in return.

"Thank you, Mum," he whispered before a white light stole him away.

As Harry felt himself regaining consciousness in the living world, he smiled inwardly to himself.

He knew without a doubt that he was going to win and he was going to live. After all, he was armed by the greatest love there was and about to come.


End file.
